Rail-splicing structure



Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PATON THOMSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COM- l PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BAIL-SPLIGING STRUCTURE.

Amilication led March 25, 1926. Serial No. 97,410.

This invention relates to an improvement in rail joint structures of the type disclosed m my application for Letters Patent.v Serial No. 722,558, tiled June 26, 1924, vnow Patent I 1,595,262, dated-Augev 10, 1926, and is a continuation in part ofthe invention of that application. A

Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a novel form of l Aspllce bar which may be economically rolled 'by conventional rolling mill methods and so formed structurally that the end portions of the bars will function in a different manner from their midsections, thus obtaining a desirable improvement in the. stability of the bar and substantially eliminating abrasive movement within the structure as well as preventing the rails from battering. Generally, all of the principal objects of the invention described and claimed in my application aforesaid are attained and pre-i served by the form of the invention'dis-A closed and claimed herein, particularlywith respect to providing means whereby the medial portions of the splice bars will function substantially in the manner of the headfree type splice bar of my Reissue Letters Patent No. 15,773 granted February 19, 1924, and the end portions of the splice bar will coact with the portion of the rail which is above the boundary line between the sur face of the rail web andv the rail head fillet more directly or extensively than will the medial portion of the bar.

The invention in the present case resides in the structural characteristics of the splice bar formation and ,the relation thereof to the heads and webs of the rails, and while susceptible of structural modification without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention a practical illustrative example of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which F1 re 1 is a side elevation of a rail splicing structure embodying the present invention.

. Figure 2 isa vertical cross-sectional view through an end portion of the rail 'joint on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

l Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the medial part of the joint on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Figure i is a vertical cross-sectionalview on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 1,l on a reduced scale, looking` in the direction of the arrow,

ing contact with the rails above the center lines of the bolt holes. This results in providing a rail joint wherein the splice bar at its ends has clearance from the rail web and a direct fishing 'engagement with the underside of the rail head and with the upper-side of the rail-base fiange, whereas the midsection of the splice bar has solid engagement with the rail web or rail head fillet, or both, and with -the base flange, but

clearance from the underside. of the rail head.

Referring to the example of the invention shown in the drawings the letter S designates the splice bar having the web portion 1, the head portion 2 and the foot flange 3, and it is preferably intended that the bar shall be an ordinary rolling mill product. In carrying forward the invention it is proposed to roll the splice bar in such a way as to deform the head portion thereof, particularly at its midsection whereby said midsection -of the head part of the bar shall have a reduction at the top, as at 4, and an inwardly 'extending bearing head-projection 5. This formation involves leaving the horizontal Width and u Ward rojection of the end portions 6 of t e hea of the bar substantially normal thereby providing for a solid fishing engagement of the said end portions 6 of the head of .the bar vwith the underside of the head of the rail R and leaving a substantial clearance as at 7 between the inner sides of the said end porf t'ions 6 of the head of the bar and the rail web and rail head llet. rIfhis is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and in Fig. 3 of the .drawings is shown the result of providing the reduced portion 4 and the inner head projection 5 at the midsection of the bar, the said reduced portion 4 providing a definite clearance 8 between the top of the midsection of the bar and the underside of the rail head, and the inner head projection 5 taking a solid and direct engagement with the rail above thecenter line of the bolt holes.

Preferably the bearing contact for the inner head projection 5 of the midsection of each splice bar is localized at or adjacent the head fillet of the rail so as to bring the head of the bar into solid resistance to load defiections according to the principle involved in the invention of my reissue patent aforesaid, so that as the bolts B are tightened and the foot of the splice bar caused to move inwardly and upwardly on the rail base flange, the head of the splice bar 1s caused to slide upwardly and outwardly. This results in a bolt tightening action and at the same time brings the inner head projection of the splice bar into solid engagement with the rail head fillet whereon the head of the bar is preferably positioned to electually resist load deflections. lVliile the action described is taking place throughout the midsection of the splice bar, the tightening of the bolts may be' made to inwardly fleX the end portions of the bar causing such end portions of the bars to become solidly engaged with the, undersides ofthe heads of the rails and the upper-sides of the rail base flanges, without permitting the` said end portions of the bars moving into contact with the rail head fillet thereof.

It will now be seen that a-rolled splice bar, of integral formation may be so modified throughout its head that the medial portion of the head ofthe bar is never in operative contact with the outer portions of the undersides of the rail heads, and on the other hand the end portions of the head of the bar are never in operative contact with the head fillet of the rail or the rail web adjacent thereto, but maintain a solid fishing engagement with the underside of the rail head and the upper side of the rail base flange, thereby obtaining all of the desirable objects and advantages herein pointed out and more extensively elaborated in my aforesaid Patent 1,595,262.

. Another feature of the invention which may be involved in the splice bar formation of the present case is that of having the end portions of the splice bars initially out of contact with the rail heads by sufficient initial easement at the points marked X on Fig. 1 so that upon the tightening of the bolts the said end portions of each splice bar will be flexed into fishing engagement with the heads of the rails to be given such resistance to vertically imposed load forces as to be adequate to decrease, materially, the extent to which the midsections might otherwise have to be provided with means for resisting displacement under vertically disposed loads. In this connection, aspointed out in my application aforesaid, the natural reaction of the midsection of each splice bar, when the Hexing of the bars is resorted to, will be toward the webs of the rails, thereby causing the said midsection of the ing bolts, and a splice bar having a midsection which grips the ends of the rails above the bolt holes and clears the underside of the rail head, and end portions which have bearing engagement with the fishing surfaces of the rail heads.

2. A rail joint including the rails, clamping' bolts and a splice bar having localized between its ends a clearance from the underside of the rail head and an inner head projection having a rail bearing above the bolt holes, the end portions of the head of the bar having a bearing engagement with the fishing surfaces of the rail head.

3. A rail joint including the rails, and a splice bar provided with an intermediate portion having a rail web bearing engagement above the center line of the bolts and having a rail head clearance, and end portions having rail web clearance and a bearing engagement with the rail head and rail base flange.

4. A rail joint including the rails, and a splice bar having at its medial portion a rail web bearing above the center of the bolts, and clearance from the rail web at its end portions.

5. A rail joint including the rails and a splice bar having head and base fishing bearings and rail web clearance at its ends, and base fishing and rail web bearings and rail head clearance at its medial portion.

6. A rail joint including the rails, and an adjustable splice bar having, at its end portions, rail head and rail base fishing bearings but no rail web bearing, and hav ing, at its medial portion, a rail bearing above the bolt holes and also rail base bearings but no rail head fishing bearing.

7. A rail joint including the rails, and a splice bar having, at its medial portion, rail web and rail base fishing bearings but no rail head fishing bearing. and having its end portions initially out of contact with the rails but adapted to be fiexed to have rail head and rail base fishing bearings.

8.- A rail joint structure including the rails, and a. splice bar which has, at its medial portion, a rail base fishing bearing and a head which has a solid engagement with the rails above the bolt holes in the rails, said engagement being with the rail between the center line of the bolt holes in the rail and the inner boundary of the rail head fishing surface, and said splice bar having, at

its end portions, clearance from the rail web and the rail head fillet.

9. A rail joint including the rails, and a splice bar having, at its medial portion, a raill base fishing engagement and a head which engages the rail above the bolt holes, and having, at its end portions, engagement with the railat a higher distance above the lbolt holes than the rail engagement of the medial portion of the splice bar.

10. A rail joint including the rails, and a splice bar having; at its medial portion, a rail base fishing earin and a head which has a clearance from t e rail head fishing surface and arail engagement between the bolt holes and the inner boundary ofthe rail head shing surface, the said splice bar having, `at its end portions, a rail clearance between the bolt h cs and the bounda between the surface ofthe rail web an the rail head fillet. f

11. A rail joint, including the rail and a splice bar having clearance from the underside of the rail head, and an inner head rojection which has, throughout the mi section of its length, ann wardly sliding bearing engagement with the rail above the center line of the bolt hole and inside'of the inner boundary of the at fishing surface of the rail head. e

lln testimony whereof I hereunto ax my signature.

WILLIAM PATKON THOMSON. 

